Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images. Pictured: Stanford Women’s Basketball Team
Although Stanford is ranked the No. 2 team in the country, the Cardinal are the betting favorite to win the women’s NCAA Tournament ahead of No. 1 UConn.
Stanford is the top seed in the Alamo Region directly opposite on the bracket of the Huskies, who will be without head coach Geno Auriemma to start the tournament due to COVID-19. The teams appear headed for a collision course in the final as they’re a tier above the rest of the field on the oddsboard.
Stanford is +150 with UConn right behind at +250 at DraftKings. The third and fourth teams on the board are Maryland and South Carolina at +700. They’re also the top two seeds in the same bracket.
The Cardinal, led by head coach Tara VanDerveer, average 78 points a game, outscoring opponents by 25 points per game. That’s due to a balanced scoring effort with four players averaging double figures, including leading scorer Kiana Williams (14.3 points per game). Stanford lost back-to-back games in January, the only blemishes on a 25-2 season.
While Stanford has wins over ranked opponents in Oregon, UCLA and Arizona, none match UConn’s win over then-No. 1 South Carolina. The Huskies are 24-1, but have only played five games against ranked opponents this year. Only South Carolina was ranked in the top 15 when at the time of the game.
Auriemma’s team averages 82 points per game with a margin of 31 points per game. Freshman All-America Paige Bueckers averages a team-high 19 points per game.
A tournament win would end what feels like a championship drought for UConn, which hasn’t won the title since 2016, which was the fourth in a row at the time. Auriemma has 11 national titles with the Huskies.
For Stanford, the regular season success has been there but its still chasing a title that’s been elusive since 1992.
Baylor (+800) won the last NCAA Tournament in 2019 and is a two-seed in UConn’s bracket this year.
BetMGM Book Card: _BookPromo=1264
The fourth No. 1 seed in NC State, but 20-2 squad is 6th on the oddsboard at +1600.
The odds get long in a hurry. Only one team with more than four losses has won the NCAA Tournament since Pat Summitt’s Tennessee Volunteers won the 1997 title with a 29-10 record. Texas A&M had five losses when it won the championship in 2011.
Among the teams further down the board is Iowa at +8000. The Hawkeyes feature the leading scorer in the nation. Caitlin Clark, a freshman, averages 26.7 points per game. Clark and Iowa could potentially meet UConn and fellow freshman Bueckers in the Sweet 16.
Odds to win Women’s NCAA Tournament
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Stanford | +150 |
| UConn | +250 |
| Maryland | +700 |
| South Carolina | +700 |
| Baylor | +800 |
| NC State | +1600 |
| Arizona | +2000 |
| Texas AM | +2500 |
| Indiana | +3300 |
| UCLA | +3300 |
| Arkansas | +5000 |
| Oregon | +5000 |
| Tennessee | +5000 |
| Georgia | +6600 |
| Gonzaga | +6600 |
| Kentucky | +6600 |
| Iowa | +8000 |
| Iowa State | +8000 |
| Michigan | +10000 |
| Oregon State | +10000 |
| West Virginia | +10000 |
| Missouri State | +15000 |
| Northwestern | +15000 |
| Georgia Tech | +20000 |
| Michigan State | +20000 |
| Oklahoma State | +20000 |
| South Florida | +20000 |
| Syracuse | +20000 |
| Texas | +20000 |
| Virginia Tech | +20000 |
| Wake Forest | +20000 |
| Washington State | +20000 |
| Alabama | +25000 |
| Florida Gulf Coast | +25000 |
| Florida State | +25000 |
| Marquette | +25000 |
| North Carolina | +25000 |
| South Dakota | +25000 |
| South Dakota State | +25000 |
| UCF | +25000 |
| Beltmont | +30000 |
| Bradley | +30000 |
| Central Michigan | +30000 |
| Drexel | +30000 |
| Idaho State | +30000 |
| Lehigh | +30000 |
| Middle Tennessee | +30000 |
| Stephen F Austin | +30000 |
| Troy | +30000 |
| UC Davis | +30000 |
| VCU | +30000 |
| Wright State | +30000 |
| Wyoming | +30000 |
| High Point | +50000 |
| Jackson State | +50000 |
| Marist | +50000 |
| Mercer | +50000 |
| Mt St Mary’s | +50000 |
| North Carolia AT | +50000 |
| Stony Brook | +50000 |
| Utah Valley | +50000 |
Odds via DraftKings as of March 17
